The commonplace use of plastic grocery bags, that is, the bags available at the supermarket checkout counters which include a container portion for receiving groceries and a pair of hoop-shaped integral upwardly extending flexible handles or bails which the consumer grips in order to carry the merchandise to his or her home or vehicle have also created well recognized attendant concerns. Such concerns include the fact that these relatively narrow strips of plastic that form the integral carrying handles can cut into the holder's hands causing finger numbness or otherwise resultant discomfort when the grocery bags are either heavy or the distance they are carried is relatively long or some combination of both. It is, accordingly, been well recognized that some sort of separate handgrip to receive such handles can provide at least partial relief to the aforementioned problems.
For instance, the following U.S. patents suggest various forms of handgrips to deal with these specific problems: U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,355 issued Jan. 2, 1990 to Schulten; U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,619 issued Jun. 26, 1990 to Salazar; U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,989 issued Jan. 8, 1991 to Sweeny; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,076 issued Jun. 18, 1996 to Randels.
While recognizing the problem and offering solutions, there remains a continuing need for a handgrip for plastic bags, which not only prevents the aforementioned hand discomfort but also is easy to grip with one's hand and which avoids assembly or necessarily bulky appendages or accessories.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by the provision of a generally taco-shaped holder of a hand comfortable plastic material having a pair of opposed sidewalls and a thickened base in turn internally provided with a ridged surface to provide a comfortable carrying device for plastic bags and which is of a size and shape to easily conform generally entirely with the user's hand so that the hand grasps and presses on the sidewalls so as to squeeze them together in a comfortable manner.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.